The Storm
by CullenFest
Summary: Set during Eclipse, this is the tent scene during the storm, told from Edward's POV. It's a 2-parter. Rated M for a reason
1. Heartbeats

**DISCLAIMER: the wonderful Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and world of Twilight. Sadly, I only get to borrow them for a short while before handing them back, chastened and confused!**

**A/N:** To my good band of FB friends who have supported me through recent tribulations and who've been good-natured enough to let this Twilight groupie bore them to death about a certain young fella she lusts after: I love you all to bits!

**Action:** Set during Eclipse - Night of the Tent – Bella, Edward & Jacob – my version of events, with Edward's musings as he battles his demons over Jacob's presence that night.

**Warning: **Lemon pith, with a sprinkling of juice.

**Dedication: **for Nic – a true friend, a great fragglicious purrson - Happy Birthday darling!!

**Music Vibe: **Jose Gonzalez – HeartbeatsThis piece fits the mood and is a simply beautiful piece of singing and acoustic guitar. One day I will play this tune, if it kills me!

**CHAPTER 1: HEARTBEATS**

_Some of the action and dialogue is re-produced from pages 433-448 of the paperback version of Eclipse. No breach of copyright is intended. I merely wish to embellish and massage some of the recollections of the night concerned from the Edward's POV._

**EPOV:**

I heard the sound of the tent doorflap opening and Jacob crawling through the smallest gap he could possibly make without bringing the snow storm in with him. My poor Bella nearly trembled herself out of the sleeping bag at the shock of the additional cold air seeping in. _Damned fool, what does he think he's doing? Oh no you don't...._

"I don't like this," I hissed at Jacob as he closed the tent flap behind him. "Just give her the coat and get out".

Bella tried to speak but was unable to get her words out as she shivered uncontrollably.

Jacob threw down the parka he'd brought in and made a smart-alec comment. "You said she needed a space heater, and here I am". The dog gestured magnanimously, opening up his arms as if expecting a hero's welcome. _Some welcome he'll get from me. Pah! Oh god, look at him – half dressed as per usual. He'll feel my fist connect with his teeth in a moment. Oh and that disgusting smell...._

Bella made to complain about him phasing back to human form, but Jacob brushed her off by saying he'd warm her up nicely in no time at his normal running temperature. I couldn't stop myself from snarling at him after hearing that comment. I could barely stand to look at him. _Oh hell no, the brazen fucker wants to get in Bella's sleeping bag!!! Over my pile of ashes...._

Instinctively my hand gripped his shoulder like a vice. He reacted to me like the dog he was and flexed as if to rip my head off or punch my lights out. He growled at me to back off.

We faced off for a moment as I warned him sternly to keep his hands off of Bella. _Fat chance – give him a moment in there with her, and he'll be all over her like a rash...._

Bella tried to intervene. I felt sorry for her but couldn't bring myself to let him climb in her sleeping bag, much as it made practical sense. _Making wise cracks about her toes dropping off doesn't help. What's his problem? Oh for God's sake does he think I'm stupid? What to do? ....God, it pisses me off but he's right. I'd give anything to keep her warm. Don't suppose I've got any choice... am going to throw up...._

I retreated to the corner and gave in to Jacob's suggestion. _Go ahead, break my heart, you bastard. _He didn't have to read my mind. My thoughts were etched plainly on my face. Jacob chuckled when I warned him again to behave himself.

I glared at him in outrage as he barged his way into the sleeping bag. _Hey - Bella looks pissed off too. That's my girl!_

My angel tried protesting at Jacob's intrusion, but he blithely ignored her and clambered in. _How the fuck can he even fit in there? I don't believe it – he's even zipped the damned thing up. Jeez, that's my Bella he's in there with. How can this be happening? Aaagh! I'll rip him limb from limb if he tries anything... if only I knew what she's thinking....she can't be liking this any more than me, surely?...._

I could see Bella react awkwardly to Jacob's presence beside her, but also instinctively to his body heat. Jacob wrapped his arms around the love of my existence and pulled her to his massive chest. _You make one wrong move towards her and so help me....._

I clamped down on my temper, waiting with bated breath for what might happen next.

He jumped in shock when Bella kept putting her cold hands on him. _Serves him right! Oh stop complaining...... Hahaha!! Bet you're sorry now!_

Bella, bless her heart, kept apologising to him. _I love you dearly, but please don't be nice to the dog, Bella._

Then Jacob really tested my patience when I heard him say "Try to relax. You'll be warm in a minute. Of course, you'd warm up faster if you took your clothes off"

_I'll swing for you in a minute, you dirtbag. _Without thinking, I growled a warning. Jacob threw out another comment. _Oh smug git – survival one-oh-one my ass...._

Bella admonished him but didn't pull away from him. He threw insults at me and accused me of being jealous.

_You bet your life I'm jealous, you smug bastard! _I reluctantly agreed out loud with his comment, responding bleakly "You don't have the faintest idea how much I wish I could do what you're doing for her, mongrel".

I could have wiped his smug answer off his face and made him eat his words.

"Those are the breaks. At least you know she wishes it was you."

I had to agree with him, but how I wished it wasn't true that he could warm her up and bring her limbs to life.

Minutes passed.

My thoughts turned back to Bella as I stared at her in the gloom. _She seems to be warming up a bit. Her shivering is easing, thank goodness. Wonder if I can toss him out of the tent now?....Perhaps a nice competition to see how far I can throw a wolf into the trees.....I'd have to deal with the pack afterwards though...._

My momentary musing ceased immediately when I heard the interloper ask my Bella if he could kiss her lips warmer for her.

I really wanted to strangle the bastard for that quip, but could only sigh in frustration.

Thankfully, Bella warned Jacob against such talk but still put a knife through my heart when she snuggled into his shoulder. I could have dry sobbed. Rubbing my hands over my face, I tried to dispel the vision from my head. I did however give a wry smile as Jacob flinched every time Bella's cold hands touched his skin. _Go on girl, give him goosebumps where the sun doesn't shine......hope his dick falls off...._

That last thought gave me a certain vindictive sense of satisfaction. From the look on Bella's face, I guessed she might be feeling the same way. My smile was still grim.

I heard her kick her feet around. _Must be taking off her boots. Haha don't like her cold feet much, do you dog?!_

With unease, I watched Jacob gradually get a bit more comfortable and cuddle Bella more closely. I watched him like a hawk. _No tricks now or I'll have you..._

After a while, Bella seemed to become more relaxed herself. She tentatively asked Jacob why his hair was longer. At his answer that he knew she preferred it that way, I couldn't help but laugh. He was embarrassed. _I'd give you a short back and sides in a heartbeat you mongrel – with my teeth! You'd be laughing on the other side of your ugly face!_

After a while longer, Bella drifted off towards unconsciousness. She wasn't fully asleep yet, but I could hear her breathing become more measured and her heartbeat slow steadily now it was not struggling to push warming blood out to her extremities.

Jacob's heartbeat on the other hand was starting to pick up a little. The dog would bear watching. I could tell he was enjoying himself entirely too much.

I heard a howl outside from the woods and became aware of another heartbeat approaching the tent. Scattered thoughts were musing on the arctic storm, what kind of an adventure it would be to sleep outside on such a night and of course what tomorrow would bring.

It was Seth, coming to take up position and guard the tent. I could hear him push his mind out seeking Jacob's thoughts but realising, now he could smell him, that Jacob had phased to human and was inside the tent. His mind filled with laughter at that notion.

I pointed out Seth's arrival to Jacob, whose reaction was fairly typical. He made another wisecrack about taking care of my "girlfriend" for me while I attended to other things. _Insolent pup! _It took all my discipline not to haul his ugly butt out of the tent and beat him to a pulp.

Stirring herself, Bella admonished him on my behalf, while I stayed silent, seething away quietly.

The hour moved on. As the storm lashed the tent and the trees, whipping up snow, I could sense Bella slipping away to a fitful sleep. I wondered what she was thinking as she drifted off.

My mind was suddenly assaulted by lascivious thoughts of Jacob as his body took stock of its proximity to Bella.

"Please, do you mind?" I hissed at Jacob. He naturally tried to act the innocent. "Do you think you could attempt to control your thoughts?"

"No one said you had to listen. Get out of my head"

"I wish I could. You have no idea how loud your little fantasies are. It's like you're shouting them at me"

"I'll try to keep it down."

Silence....

Jacob mused that he bet I wished I was where he was right now. He teased me about my jealousy and how he was more suited to her generally. He was really starting to get on my nerves, so I told him so with a suggestion that he should shut the hell up and go to sleep.

He commented that he would try because he was really comfortable where he was. I couldn't find a suitable retort due to the fury in my soul.

Jacob then silently asked me if I'd answer some questions, since we were confined together for the night and he was curious about me.

I wasn't too sure what he had in mind, but cautiously agreed to answer honestly. _Not going to make any promises though, mongrel_.

He asked me about my jealousy, figuring it was eating away at me. He also suggested there was no way I could be as sure of myself as I seemed. I agreed that dealing with the jealousy had been pretty bad and that I still resented the time Bella spent in his company. It hurt me she seemed to need Jacob in her life so much, but I'd come to the conclusion that if spending time in his company made her happy, then I'd have to honour her wishes.

I could have punched his lights out when he asserted that Bella loved him too. A hole opened in my chest because I knew he was probably right.

When I'd left her to suffer all those months, I'd caused a major rift that was still being sealed. It was like a big open wound that was taking time to heal from the inside. Even when healed over, there would always be a scar, a reminder of a ghastly experience for both of us. I had nobody to blame but myself that Jacob had sewn Bella back together in his ham-fisted fashion. He'd left marks on her body and her soul, just as much as I had.

Jacob commented on me not being able to read Bella's mind. I grudgingly admitted it still bothered me, but so long as she was happy then I wasn't going to worry about something I couldn't control. I also grudgingly admitted I was glad of his assistance tonight and I'd decided to be pragmatic on account of Bella needing his warmth more than my love at that moment. I hated that for tonight he could do for her, something physically positive that I could not. _No need to be so damned smug about it Jacob!_

Jacob, with uncanny insight, devilled his way to my biggest worry: that I would not be enough for Bella ultimately and that I might never ever be able to make up to her the hurt I'd caused her.

I could feel Jacob's hopeful thoughts as he tried to persuade me he was far better suited to her than I was. _Dammit, will I never get peace with Bella? I want her so badly. Whatever will I do if she decides to jump the other way? _

I hated to see Bella torn between us, but I couldn't be so unselfish as to step back from her to make a decision, could I? Not after all we'd been through?

Jacob continued to pepper me with questions about my time away from her, how I'd coped (well I hadn't had I?) and what I'd felt through it all. When we hit the subject of her leaping from the cliff, the blackness threatened to overwhelm me – even now, after being reunited with my heart and soul, I feared she would still be ripped away from me by being drawn to another love. How could I compete with life when all I could offer was an eternity of missed opportunities and losing loved ones?

Despite Jacob's urging, I couldn't bear to recall how I'd felt when I'd thought she'd taken her own life. I did recall grimly how I couldn't wait to be dead fast enough to be alongside her. I'd so hoped there was an afterlife at that point. Either way, I was doomed to die. Again.

Jacob persisted in wanting to know why I'd left Bella behind and why I'd come back. My thoughts were bleak as they went back to the time in our lives which was seared with pain.

While we were being so honest with each other, I asked him about the story of the Third Wife which had intrigued me. My blood ran to ice when he told me the significance of it. _Oh my Bella, how am I going to protect you tomorrow if you are willing to sacrifice yourself at the drop of a hat?_

Jacob's questions started to get on my nerves. I just wanted him to shut up, offering to render him unconscious the hard way.

Belatedly, I wished I'd kept him talking, because it would have distracted him. It was something I came to regret during the night.

This would be a night to remember, and one we would try desperately hard to forget.

**A/N: This was going to be a one-shot, but given we are dealing with both Edward and Jacob, I thought it only right it be a "two shot"! So, my lovely readers, this is what happened next....**


	2. Disenchanted Lullaby

**DISCLAIMER: the wonderful Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and world of Twilight. Sadly, I only get to borrow them for a short while before handing them back, chastened and confused!**

**A/N:** To my good band of FB friends who have supported me through recent tribulations and who've been good-natured enough to let this Twilight groupie bore them to death about a certain young fella she lusts after: I love you all to bits!

**Action:** Two Shot: Set during Eclipse - Night of the Tent – Bella, Edward & Jacob – my version of the event and Edward's musings as he battles his jealousy and pain over Jacob's presence that night.

**Warning: **Lemon balm, coils of zest, juice and pips

**Dedication: **for Nic – a true friend, a great fragglicious purrson - Happy Birthday darling!!

**Music Vibe: **Foo Fighters – Disenchanted Lullaby.I have gone back to the fabulous Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, who puts to music such poetry and love that he leaves me totally blown away.

**CHAPTER 1: DISENCHANTED LULLABY**

_Some of the action and dialogue is re-produced from pages 433-448 of the paperback version of Eclipse. No breach of copyright is intended. I merely wish to embellish and massage some of the recollections of the night concerned from the Edward's POV._

**EPOV**

Jacob had snuggled closer to Bella, after musing with me briefly about who would walk away from a smackdown.

"Don't tempt me too far, wolf. My patience isn't that perfect" I warned him.

"I'd rather not move just now, if you don't mind" was his taunting response.

I felt Jacob's thoughts return to Bella's warm body. I could tell she was comfortable and relaxed now. The mongrel's heart skipped a beat when he realised she'd snuggled up with her head burrowed into his chest.

_Don't you even go there, buster. She's mine!_

I tried humming Bella's lullaby, in the hopes of reminding her subconscious that I was still here, captive of her heart, sitting miserably in the corner. The lullaby was also serving to remind Jacob I was staking my claim on the beautiful body he held close to him just now.

I could feel Jacob's heart pick up speed yet again. His breath hitched noticeably. I suppose it was inevitable that his teenage body would start warming to the female body beside him, but that didn't mean I had to like it, or be subjected to the thoughts starting to swirl around his head again.

"Will you cut that out Jacob?" I snarled quietly, fist itching to connect with bone.

Jacob threw his reaction at me silently: _"Oh back off! I'm comfortable here and you know full well that Bella's too gorgeous not to think about. You'll just have to put up with whatever's going through my mind, buddy"._

I had two choices: I could either yank him out of his comfort zone or heckle him enough to put him off.

Sure enough, Jacob's hormones started showing through even more strongly. I could feel his blood pressure rising imperceptibly.

_Oh shit, here we go. Don't tell me I've got to listen to this jerk get a hard on now....._

Jacob groaned involuntarily as his body surrendered to the testosterone flooding through him. I heard him smirk and huff in amusement.

_Oh boy, he's getting a boner. I'm going to wipe that smile off his face. How do I do that without hurting Bella? What if he phases in the sleeping bag? Jeez, that doesn't bear thinking about...... shit shit shit!!! _

"Jacob, do you think you could pop that genie back in the bottle please?"

"I don't know what you could possibly mean. Now leave me alone. I'm busy."

_I'll give you busy..._I snarled mentally at him.

"If you start dry-humping her leg, I'll rip you apart. Don't get any more ideas."

My voice must have carried louder than I thought. Bella stirred, but with no indication that she'd heard what I'd said. Agonisingly for me, she made to turn over.

_Oh crap, what if she turns her back to him?.....Oh crap, I'll never stop what'll happen then. Even I couldn't stop myself if that happened to me...._

As if on cue, Bella moaned lightly and turned over to face away from Jacob.

Jacob's resulting silent shout of approval nearly knocked me over. I was hit by a wave of lust so strong it made my eyes water.

_No no no no!!!!!! this is so wrong!!_

"Yes yes yes yes!!!" was all I could hear in Jacob's head.

"Don't you even dare..." I hissed at him, edging closer.

_Can she sense his arousal? What if she responds to it? God, I swear I'll go right outside and get Seth to kill me on the spot! This is mortifying._

"Edward?" I was suddenly startled to hear Bella's voice.

"Yes my love?" I crept over towards her until I realised that she wasn't actually fully conscious.

Jacob thoughts noticeably quietened: _"See, even though she's with me in here, it's you she's thinking about"._

I chuckled with relief.

Bella continued to call out my name for a while. I hoped that whatever she was dreaming about, particularly if it was me, was making her happy. "Mmmm yeah..." she said now and then. My body reacted to that in a way I didn't want Jacob to know about.

Bella then went silent for a while. Both Jacob and I waited with bated breath for her next outpouring. His name or mine?

It didn't happen. Instead, Bella stirred and lifted her head up and looked around.

"Edward?"

"I'm right here, my love" I responded, this time knowing she was awake.

"Will you come over here? I want you near me."

I needed no further invitation and scooted across to her in a flash.

"I want to cuddle you Edward. Will you lie down beside me?"

I thought about that for a moment, wondering how not to make her freeze like an icebox. The hard ground under the groundsheet of the tent didn't bother me. It wasn't as if I was going to get cold lying down there. However, Bella was another matter. Then I had an inspiration: the parka. With that in mind, I gathered up the coat and doubled it over, placing it as a barrier between us. I lay down in front of Bella, with my back to her. She put her arm round me, inside the parka where her arm and hand would stay toasty and snug.

Why hadn't I thought of this before? _Idiot!_

Bella sighed contentedly. She gave my neck a kiss and scooted up behind me a bit more. "My two favourite hunks in all the world" she murmured.

Oh boy, that was a bittersweet pill to swallow!

So, here we were, laying down as a threesome. Bella was hugging me through the thick quilted parka. Jacob was hugging her under the thick quilted sleeping bag. Guess who was the lucky one? _Late to the party yet again Edward. Out in the cold. Get used to it, you moron._

We all lay there for a while, each immersed in our own thoughts (well, of course, my thoughts were in stereo). I was secretly thrilled. Jacob was feeling a bit put out, but he was still enjoying his pride of place in the sleeping bag. The twitches of pleasure pulsing through his brain burned and prickled like fire ants on mine.

Gradually I felt Bella relax again and nod off to sleep happily. Oh if only she knew the torment she was putting her protectors through. My sweet innocent Bella, my gorgeous Bella. Unaware how maddeningly alluring she was.

Jacob continued to enjoy cuddling Bella, his arms circled around her waist, his groin close in behind her.

What I heard next, chilled even me to the bone.

"Jacob, my Jacob...ohhh....." mumbled Bella in her sleep.

That was the road to hell, right there!

It was the last straw for Jacob. His body had already set up a steady hum. He was cocked and ready to fire. Bella had just pressed the trigger.

I realised that now he'd started down that physical path, there was little I could do to stop it without harming Bella devastatingly. All I could do was grit my teeth and hope it would be over quickly. Given Jacob's age, that would probably about 2 minutes! I could but hope. _Get it over with you dirtbag._

The next several minutes were torture. I cannot adequately describe it.

Even worse, much as I hated to admit it, hearing Jacob's state of arousal because of Bella was actually starting to turn me on. Not because of him directly, but because of my mind thinking about being where Jacob was. I could envision it being me, right there, near the hot core of my purrfect angel. I sighed deeply and felt myself making slight movements as my own body started to betray me.

_Oh crap this is too perverted to even think about. He's pushed in close behind her, the lucky bastard. I could cum just thinking about her purrfectly pert behind. What am I thinking?? How gross! How can I think about her and Jacob, and still get horny? Edward get a grip! No not literally you idiot. Think clean thoughts. Think clean thoughts. That's it: a football game with Emmett; Rosalie throwing a fit about something; wow she can be a bitch sometimes; playing chess with Jasper; discussing bacterial infections with Carlisle. Think clean thoughts. Shit this isn't working....oh hell, she smells so good even in this cold air. The dog smell isn't attractive but I can still smell her above that....I just want to nuzzle into her hair and drink in the smell of her.....and kiss those purrfect lips...touch those breasts...._

I battled my self-control but almost inevitably lost the war as my thoughts were drawn back to the sleeping beauty right behind me. I bit down onto my hand as my body played my mind like a violin. "Strung out" barely covered it. Mutely, intensely because of the pain in my hand, I let the ecstasy wash over me and only hoped that Jacob was too carried away by his own lust to notice mine.

I could vaguely hear Jacob's disjointed thoughts as he started to lose control while his body's intentions overwhelmed him too. I so wished I couldn't hear it but I couldn't block it from my mind. This was going to be seared on my psyche for a long time. Thank God I wasn't actually seeing it or my retinas would be burned forever with the image and never recover!

"_....heat feels fantastic through fabric of these jogging pants – oh god that feels good – I so want her – if only I could just nudge her and feel her wetness – I'd make love to her like he could never ever do – oh my god this feels good – she smells wonderful – oh jeez she's sighing my name – that is frigging won-der-ful – if only I could get her hand – that'd feel awesome – I wonder if Edward would know....oh shit shut up Jacob – oh what the hell....this'll irritate the shit out of him....yeah......oh shit I'm losing it....oh Bella my Bella....just want to grab her butt.....oh shit I'm going to cum.....aaaaghhh....so good....."_

I was so pissed off at us both, I couldn't speak. I left him alone long enough for him to recover his senses and stop grunting like a pig.

"Feel better for that, you bastard?"

"Yes thanks. That was frigging amazing. A long held dream. Bet you've never even got close to that with her, bloodsucker." he responded low enough so as not to wake Bella.

"Think what you like. You'll never know but it will drive you mad to wonder" was my heated retort. _Ponder on that you bastard._

_Well, at least he doesn't know how close I've come to taking Bella when she's been sound asleep next to me night after night. I've fought the desire for her body for so long, it's getting harder and harder to resist. The more time I spend with her, the less I might want her blood but the more I want her body. My precious girl doesn't deserve to have us pawing and slavering over her this way. We're no more than dogs._

Thank goodness she definitely hadn't heard Jacob's interlude - her heartbeats had not changed for the entire duration of Jacob's indiscretion. Bad enough I had to listen to his muffled moans, her being conscious of his lust would have been too hard to bear. _How I can feel repulsed by him more than I am by my own lust for Bella? _

It was a very long night. Jacob did eventually fall asleep, albeit not a deep sleep. He kept waking when Bella's sleeptalking became persistent and it took a while for him to nod off again. I would have loved to knock him unconscious, just so he could not hear my turmoil and restlessness.

Bella eventually turned over in her sleep again, leaving me feel a little bereft. I so ached to hold her in my arms like I did at the house.

After she turned away from me, I couldn't bear to turn over myself and be faced with that other beast in her bed. Reluctantly, I got up and returned to the corner of the tent, hunching my arms over my knees and watching Jacob intently for any signs of action that would need nipping in the bud.

In the meantime, I had to deal with the feelings of self-loathing that came from the tacky situation that had arisen earlier. _How could I have been such an animal? _Much as I wanted to protect Bella, weakened by lust, I'd been unable to think how to safely remove Jacob from the tent without putting her in more danger than she already faced. _This damned teenage body betrayed me. What is the matter with you? _I was horrified by my own responses and those of Jacob, but in many ways, not surprised. It was a tense situation.

However, I equally uncertain as to just how far Jacob had insinuated himself into Bella's affections. He was so much more suited to her in many ways. How could I be sure that I was still right for Bella when she seemed to still love him so much? Jacob and I had both seen the baser side of our natures tonight. I had a feeling I would still have to fight dirty to push Jacob out of the equation. My motives were selfish and not always as honourable as Bella believed. Let the chips fall where they may tomorrow: I sensed it would be the pinnacle of my fight over Bella with Jacob.

I felt sure, and certainly hoped fervently, that when Bella woke in the morning, she would be none the wiser about what had transpired through tonight. For that I was glad and got some measure of relief. Bella was safe and warm, even if she would reek of dog in the morning. Jacob and I had endured a difficult time, having more reason, in a way, to hate each other. We had acknowledged things we did not wish to.

We would not mention this night ever again. It had to be worst that Fate would throw at us, surely?

- * -

**A/N: Boys will be boys...right? Hope you enjoyed it. Was this how you imagined the tent scene to play out, reading between the lines? Would love to hear what you think. I have edited it slightly from the original, to emphasise something I was not sure came over well previously. Look forward to your reviews.**


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